everyone loves a snuggle.

I really hate how much I love my snuggie. It’s a blue, poly blend, fleece nightmare, and I definitely shunned my boyfriend when he first proudly toted it home. But this particularly chilly winter threw the snuggie and I together in to a vortex of fate, and despite my best effort to stay away from the Tackiest Item of 2009, I developed a love for that awful thing.

It’s an embarrassing affair, like one between the homecoming queen and the president of the science club. He may give her everything she needs, but she’ll never admit she’s into it.

Blankoak is a snuggie we can all admit to loving.

It’s Icelandic (from Reykjavik, specifically, which tells me nothing because my knowledge of Icedanic geography leaves something to be desired, but it sounds cool) and made from sheep’s wool. The explanation for it on the website is “for January is cool.” Touche. Well played, Reykjavik-ians, well played.

cool clothes for cool girls

The Battalion was founded by two Echo Park, CA sisters who design minimalistic-yet-fascinating, simple-but-not-simplistic and modern-without-being-trendy women’s clothing. They’ve cited fascinating women and eras gone by as their main inspirations, and their interpretations of Anais Nin (SS 2009), the discovery of the New World (FW 2009) or ballerinas (SS 2010), have consistently been pretty great.

The brand got it’s start when designer Linda Wong began creating outwear from scraps of cashmere upcycled from rag mills, and it has managed to maintain it’s je ne sais quoi, bohemian appeal by never sanding down it’s semi-tough exterior. The Battalion isn’t a trend producer or a trend follower, it’s a brand that focuses on luxurious comfort and wearability for the slightly above-average woman.

Also, I want that fringe sleeve dress. So good!

ten good things

The other day, my (real life, like known her for years, lives down the street, got me to read Twilight, real life) friend jane-e from closet obsessions tagged me to list ten good things. Here goes:

1. Everything from All Saints. Note the collage to your left ladies and gentlemen. It's basically an illustrated wish list.

2. Springtime.

3. My chubby cat and his habit of never being more than 10 feet away from me.

4. The fact that the bell peppers in the backyard are thriving.

5. The new Broken Bells cd.

6. Bookstores.

7. Dusty coffeehouses, small diners and dive bars. So... living in Long Beach.

8. Sunday morning farmer's markets.

9. English breakfast tea.

10. Candles, especially Bergamot ones.

In perpetuation of this little list of optimism, I tag Rhapsody in Boots, Style Porn and Dirty Hair Halo. Have fun ladies :)

H&M Garden Collection

There are a lot of things that I find exciting; macaroons, especially pistachio ones, finding the perfect pair of shoes, the travelocity commercials with the jaunty gnome... My love for each of these things is neck in neck with my love of H&M. The store never disappoints. It rolls out new and sartorially inventive styles before most magazines even recognize them, and it makes them available in a price point that gives reverse-sticker shock. (For example, that striped shirtdress I was wearing in the last post? Yeah, that cost me $6.95. Really. Really really.)

Then there's this, and this makes me happier than pistachio macaroons, shoes and jaunty gnomes combined:

Thank you H&M, for embracing sustainable design and not covering it in burlap. Thank you, for having the brains to make something that is both desirable and wearable. And thank you, for making sundresses out of recycled plastic bottles, so that I can use the phrase "Yeah, my sundress is saving the world," and meaning it.

women's wear daily

cameras make ghosts out of people

ode to marie antoinette, cupcakes